LBSU surrendered a pair of home runs in the defeat and will hope to win the series in tomorrow’s doubleheader.

Long Beach, Calif. -
Long Beach State fell victim to another big inning on Friday night at Blair Field, allowing the visiting Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-4) to score five runs in the fifth en route to a 9-2 win. The loss drops LBSU to 5-4 and sends the team on its first losing streak of the season with back-to-back home defeats.

Chris Mathewson labored through his third start of the season, lasting just four innings before giving up three straight hits to start the fifth frame. In total, Mathewson was charged with four runs allowed (all earned) on eight hits with three walks and four strikeouts.

Garrett Hampson was a major bright spot for Long Beach State, going 4-for-4 on the night and reaching base all five times he came up to the plate. The four hits are a new career high for the shortstop after recording three base hits several times, most recently in the second game of the season vs. Holy Cross. All four of Hampson’s hits on Friday went to the opposite field, starting off with an infield single to second base and then sending three consecutive line drives to right center in his next three plate appearances.

Nebraska took the lead in the top of the third on a solo home run from DH Scott Schreiber, his second of the year. The lead grew to 6-0 after the five-run fifth as the first five Cornhuskers reached base. Lucas Jacobsen took over during the fifth, allowing a walk, a hit and a run and a pair of sacrifice flies. Ryan Cruz pitched the final four innings for the Dirtbags allowing three runs on six hits. The final runs of the night came on a two-run home run for 1B Ben Miller in a three-run ninth for Nebraska.

Long Beach State scored twice in the fifth on a rally started by Hampson. His leadoff single was followed by a throwing error from catcher Taylor Fish, allowing Hampson to move into scoring position for Jarren Duran’s RBI double. After Duran moved to third on a wild pitch, Alex Muzzi delivered a pinch-hit RBI single to make the score 6-2. It was Muzzi’s first career hit and RBI for the Dirtbags.

The teams will play a doubleheader tomorrow, with the first game starting at 12 p.m. The second game is scheduled to begin 45 minutes after the conclusion of game one. Darren McCaughan and Tanner Brown are the expected starters for the Dirtbags and Derek Burkamper and Matt Waldron are expected to toe the rubber for the Cornhuskers.

NOTES: A season-high 19 Dirtbags saw action in tonight’s game, including 16 position players … Hampson now has a team-high 16 hits and is hitting .457 on the year … Brock Lundquist went 1-for-2 on Friday, extending his hitting streak to five games … Five Nebraska players recorded multiple hits, led by three apiece for leadoff hitter Ryan Boldt and Jake Meyers.